The Impact of Veganism as a Socio-Political Movement

By Carolina Dionísio

According to Oxford Languages, veganism is defined as “the practice of eating only food not derived from animals and typically of avoiding the use of other animal products”.

But could such a simple decision impact the greater scope of the world? Could veganism be the revolution?

Well, I think it could.

There’s no denying some people view veganism, or any other practice of the same genre (such as vegetarianism or pescetarianism), as some sort of “woke cult” — because apparently, nowadays, everything slightly different is a “woke cult”. This issue thickens when we realize veganism is a very divisive topic, even for vegans themselves. One side of the community claims the practice is part of a fight bigger than food, and the other says it doesn’t have to be related to politics. But I think it can be, and it should.

Like many, I believe veganism could be seen as a movement that’s constantly working towards a more ethical and free society. But first, it’s important to understand why this is a divisive topic, and also the key differences between dietary vegans and ethical vegans.

Dietary vegans, also called plant-based people, abstain from animal consumption for whatever personal or political reason, but without necessarily rejecting all forms of animal abuse, like as an example, animal testing.

I don’t think that’s a distinction we can make. We can’t pick and choose how we fight or when we fight. It’s counterproductive to pick a salad at a restaurant while simultaneously buying from brands that are still testing on animals, despite such an act being publicly problematic and frowned upon. We’re not moving back, but we’re not moving forward either — we’re simply stagnant, which is the worst thing that can happen given the current state of the world. If we allow ourselves to be stuck in this cycle, we may never be able to get out.

I believe one of the reasons why veganism is still such a heated topic inside the community is because some of its practitioners — like dietary vegans — are still unwilling to give up everything it takes to fully protect an animal and the environment. Because if we think we’re saving anything just by not picking up chicken breasts at the supermarket, then we’re incredibly mistaken.

So, ethical vegans oppose all animal exploitation based on moral convictions about animal rights and sentience. They extend their beliefs beyond the diet and avoid all animal-related products in other fields, such as clothing, cosmetics, and entertainment.

Jordi Casamitjana, author of Ethical Vegan, explores this in his article for Vegan FTA.

“Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment”.

I think this definition perfectly encapsulates the type of action we should be taking.

If we go back to 1944, when The Vegan Society was first born and the term “vegan” was coined by British woodworker Donald Watson, we’ll realize all this is really nothing new.

The vegan protests of the 70s and the 80s largely overlapped with the rise of animal protection and animal rights movements, which were fueled by revolutionary texts such as Peter Singer's Animal Liberation (1975), or Tom Regan's The Case for Animal Rights (1983).

And over the years, a simple and healthy eating practice became a greater community made of organisations, protests, and campaigns, until it reached the final form of a real socio-political movement.

Today, in 2025, we have major initiatives like Veganuary and the global Plant-Based Treaty, along with worldwide events like World Vegan Day. Even more protests fill the streets from England to Malaysia. And in countries where traditional protests are not favored, like Japan, a softer approach is being utilized by increasing vegan options and providing education on the matter.

So why are we regressing now, when the world needs revolution the most?

*Image Sourced from Animal Rights March in London (2019)*

One of the motives used to excuse the sudden setback of the movement is social media propaganda.

I’ve seen people say “nowadays, everything is a problem” or “nowadays, we can’t do anything” every time someone dares comment on those videos of gigantic steaks with butter and salt being eaten out of wooden boards (even if it's scientifically proven that the excessive consumption of red meat can lead to many health complications, such as dangerously high cholesterol or gout).

Others say this wave of “anti-meat” is pushing a performative eco-friendly narrative, made to please millionaire companies that profit off over-priced biological products. And although that might be partially true (because we’ll always have people taking advantage of things for the sake of their own wallet), we can’t just trash an entire movement because of one bad green-smoothie ad. Not every "healthy plate” is an attempt at starting a trend and gaining followers. Not every vegan on TikTok is trying to sell you over-processed powders or supplements. Actually, the vast majority is simply trying to help — you just don’t want to listen.

So yes, it’s irrational to refuse an entire ideology based on such baseless arguments, like clout or money. Especially when rejecting all sorts of animal-related products that are consequential of cruel and abusive methods has always been a formed concept, even before veganism became “a thing” on social media.

In reality, the practice dates back to ancient cultures and notable historical figures.

Jainism believes that all living things, from humans to plants and nonliving elements, possess a soul. In Buddhism, life involves suffering, suffering arises from craving, and suffering can be ended by relinquishing craving. In Ancient Greece, Pythagoras and his followers practiced forms of vegetarianism because they believed in the interconnectedness of living beings. In the 19th Century, Dr. William Lambe became one of the first well-known vegan activists.

Again, as mentioned, the socio-political nature of Veganism is nothing new. It has always been important and used as an educational material every time someone speaks of animal cruelty or the climate crisis.

For example, Less Meat, Less Heat is a common phrase used to promote a more sustainable future by adopting a plant-based diet, which can significantly lower our carbon footprint, conserve resources like water and land, and contribute to a healthier Mother Nature.

It has been scientifically proven that the over-consumption of meat is directly connected to Earth’s rising temperatures through three steps only: building, producing, and processing.

Clearing land to build livestock facilities and feed crops leads to sudden mass deforestation, which reduces Earth's ability to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Then, in order to produce and maintain livestock, huge amounts of powerful greenhouse gases — like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide — are constantly released to our atmosphere. And finally, processing and distributing meat requires extensive amounts of water, gas, and other resources.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization report Livestock's Long Shadow, “livestock account for 18% of total greenhouse gas emissions, which is double the share of transport”. They also highlighted the inefficiency of producing meat, rather than crops, to feed the world.

“Livestock's share of greenhouse gas emissions is not just an environmental problem, but also an agricultural and development one”, said the Parliament's Ex-Vice-President, Edward McMillan-Scott. “This share will grow, because developing countries consume more meat as their income rises: in China, per capita meat consumption has more than doubled in the past 20 years”.

This only means more gas, more water, more land, and more irreversible damage to our Ozone Layer.

Less Meat, Less Heat is one of the biggest examples of how Veganism could be one of many solutions to further combat climate change.

There are also plenty of organizations and initiatives — like Meatless Mondays, the UN Environment Programme, or the Food and Agriculture Organization — promoting strategies and policies like reducing food waste to combat climate change, and improving human health by lowering greenhouse gas emissions and resource use.

*Image Sourced from Kelowna Capital News*

We have all the tools to help the world breathe better by making the simple decision of eating less meat or consuming fewer animal-related products. Just engaging with Meatless Mondays or cruelty-free brands is already a step ahead towards a more sustainable future.

Veganism as a socio-political movement is not going anywhere, but our planet is.

Each day, we lose land, resources, and air to billionaire corporations of mass production, whose CEOs have fresh water on their fridges and A/C in their bedrooms. They might not feel the effects of climate change yet, they might not even believe that Global Warming is truly a real thing, but one day, they will have no other choice but to do so.

But that day will already be too late.

Veganism is not just about healthy food, but also about the animals that suffer at the hands of humans, the humans that exploit animals like their nothing but stock, the humans that destroy our planet like it’s a birthright, and the humans that do nothing at all. Anything that veganism wants to achieve, socially or politically, is not only a step closer towards cleaner air for all of us today, but also a fairer society with promised increased quality of life for the next generations.